Saturday May 13, 2023 | 9:00 a.m.
In the world of birds, common phalaropes stand apart. The females of these species compete for pairs and mate with several males. They are responsible for providing all parental care to their offspring. They are migratory birds that move twice a year between North America, where they breed, and South America.
The movements of phalaropes are associated with the time of greatest abundance of invertebrates that serve as food. They can be seen swimming in salty lagoons such as Laguna Mar Chiquita, in Córdoba, Lake Epecuén, in the province of Buenos Aires, or Laguna de los Pozuelos, Jujuy. But that fascinating synchronization in the rhythms of these birds’ lives is being disrupted by the effects of climate change.
The increase in the average temperatures of the planet generates subtle but worrying imbalances in migratory birds. And the common phalaropes are not the only species affected: there are 100.
Marcela Castellino, a biologist who lives in the province of Córdoba, Argentina and is part of the Flyways Program of the non-governmental organization Manomet and the Hemispheric Network of Shorebird Reserves, has dedicated more than 10 years to the conservation of phalaropes.
“Everything is connected. On the one hand, there is greater extraction from rivers that are tributaries of the lagoons where birds such as phalaropes live. But there is also an increase in temperatures that increases evaporation. It rains less, more drought. As the water level drops, salinity increases and invertebrate populations are affected, which serve as food for birds,” explained Castellino.
In the world, there are then 100 species of migratory birds that are being threatened by the activities of human beings that have produced climate change, according to the database developed by the non-governmental organization BirdLife.
Within that total, 24 of these birds affected by climate change live in South America, and 10 of them are also found in Argentina.
Today is World Migratory Bird Day, and scientists and environmentalists are trying to raise awareness about its importance and about the problems they are facing, such as the difficulty of finding healthy aquatic environments to live.
“There are many birds that migrate and the BirdLife database allows us to take into account the different degrees of threats they face. Some fly thousands of kilometers. Others, on the other hand, move within the territory of the same country, as is the case with the macá tobiano, which is in critical danger, “Dr. Juan Carlos Reboreda, biologist, professor at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, explained to Infobae from the University of Buenos Aires and researcher at Conicet.
In the case of the macá tobiano, climate change generated increases in wind speeds and severe droughts, which reduce its reproductive habitat. This species inhabits lakes and lagoons in the province of Santa Cruz. In winter it migrates to the Atlantic coast. Its population decreased by more than 80% in the last 25 years. It was also affected by the impact of invasive and exotic species in its reproductive zone, according to the organization Aves Argentinas, which together with Ambiente Sur is developing a program to save the macá from extinction.
“Climate change affects birds in many ways,” explained Dr. Susan Bonfield, executive director of Environment for the Americas, in a dialogue with Infobae, which is one of the organizations that promotes activities for World Migratory Bird Day.
“By raising the level of the seas and oceans, climate change affects the bird species that depend on the coasts. Increased drought affects all birds because access to the water they need to drink, bathe and feed in the habitats where they live is reduced,” Bonfield said.
Stronger winds drive birds from nests, and increasingly frequent extreme storms destroy large tracts of habitat. That reduces nesting sites. The birds that experience the greatest habitat loss are the ones most at risk, he noted.
Bonfield highlighted what happens with the charlatan, a bird that is also known as “Canadian”, sucker (as it is known in rice-growing areas of Argentina for its habit of squeezing rice seeds) or Bobolink (its name in English). . This month, the charlatans are traveling to North America from Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia.
“The babbler is a bird species that depends on breeding sites in prairies and grasslands across Canada. Temperatures in this region are expected to rise by three degrees Celsius, which will cause a loss of more than 80% of their breeding habitat,” the expert warned.
Another of the threatened species in South America is the Andean flamingo. It makes seasonal movements from the Andes (in the Northwest of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia) to the wetlands of the Pampean plains. Since 2020, the scientist Enrique Derlindati, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the National University of Salta, together with collaborators, is carrying out a study with satellite transmitters on 10 individuals of this species.
“Climate change may impact the time birds spend at each site. The different alterations of these sites, which are saline wetlands, could affect the flamingo populations. We are investigating it,” Dr. Derlindati told Infobae.
There are many researchers from different countries who are trying to identify the impact of climate change on migratory birds. They work against the clock to generate awareness and alerts.
Birds provide multiple benefits to human beings: they connect the world, disperse seeds, pollinate, control pests, among other services as part of ecosystems.
